Four BBC journalists held in Irish anti-terror operation

The BBC last night confirmed that four of its journalists have been arrested during an Irish police anti-terrorist operation in Co Donegal against dissident republicans.

It is understood the reporters and researchers were meeting leading figures connected to the Real IRA. They had been working for the BBC Northern Ireland television programme Spotlight on a programme on the recent upsurge in Real IRA terrorism.

The four were detained along with seven other men in the border county yesterday. The Garda Siochána confirmed they were being held about "ongoing paramilitary activities".

A BBC spokesman said: "We can confirm that some of those arrested in Co Donegal are BBC journalists. They were working on a BBC Northern Ireland current affairs investigation and had full editorial authorisation of the BBC's guidelines.

"Those others present were fully aware that they were BBC journalists."

Security forces in Northern Ireland are on high alert over fears of a Real IRA offensive to coincide with the Queen's visit to Belfast and Armagh later this week.

Intelligence reports indicate that the republican terror group has recently moved a number of newly imported, Russian made rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) into the north of Ireland.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and MI5 discovered the Real IRA had recently moved the weapons across the border from hides in the Irish Republic, they said.

Although the Queen's visit to St Patrick's Anglican cathedral in Armagh on Maundy Thursday has been known about for weeks, it is now understood that she will also visit Queen's University Belfast, where she is scheduled to meet Northern Ireland's first minister, Ian Paisley.

The extra venue on the first major royal visit since power sharing was restored last year has created a security headache.

Last week specialist PSNI marksmen and officers from its personal protection units were ordered on to police shooting ranges in preparation for the visit.

One senior PSNI source said yesterday: "There is a debate whether the Queen will travel down to Armagh by car or be dropped down by helicopter close to the Mall in the city centre. That is the preferred option from our point of view.

"It's the biggest security nightmare we have had in years, because the Real IRA would love to launch a series of attacks during her visit. We have successfully countered a number of operations, like the start of February when they were trying to get a bomb into Greater Belfast, the target being a major British retail chain store. But they are still a threat and we can't be complacent."

In 1977, the Queen toured the north of Ireland during her silver jubilee, despite an upturn in the Provisional IRA's violent campaign.